Born and raised from a humble background, I witnessed the importance of working hard. Coming from the blue-collar sector, my parents worked extremely hard to support my upbringing. As the only child, my parents gave me all they could, to provide for my education.
For 26 years, my dad worked as a driver so that he could support our family. My mum also contributed by taking up a blue-collar job.
Times were difficult, but I understand that at a very young age. I grow up recognising the fact that is only through hard work and perseverance, that one can overcome the hard times.
What my education taught me
Both of my parents have never been to school, but they understood the importance of hard work, discipline, and grit. I grew up watching their hard work in hourly roles and that inspired and motivated me to strive forward.
I was blessed to get the chance to receive a college degree in a local university, and I learned that I had to treasure all the opportunities I could get. I did and I made use of every single opportunity in school.
During my education at the National University of Singapore, I was offered a chance to attend the NUS Overseas College programme. This chance did not come easy. My first application was rejected, and my second appeal only got through one day before the closing date.
Also Read: From a troublemaker in school to drone maker, this Malaysian entrepreneur is now living his dream
I came to know that such chances do not come easy, so I made sure to make the best out of it. This programme got me deep-dived into the startup ecosystem and fostered my entrepreneurial mind.
My internship at a digital marketing and tech company in China provided a good headstart for navigating the Chinese landscape. Subsequently, Farfetch proposed a unique acquisition. In July 2018, they were acquired and Farfetch filed an IPO later that year.
Looking back, I certainly did not know that I would have ever gotten the chance to intern at a startup that witnesses the transformation from acquisition to IPO. I learned that with hard work and education, all is possible. Upon my graduation this May, I will be the first generation degree holder in my family.
How do I support my entrepreneurial ventures financially
Coming from a blue-collar background, meant that we could not afford a lot of luxuries. I do not have the capacity to attend extracurricular activities such as learning music.
When I was in my teens, I took up part-time jobs, working in fast food chains and restaurants. My experience from waiting tables in the F&B industry taught me about the importance of understanding the customer.
This includes a complete journey from having empathy for their needs to delivery of the service itself. Being in a front-facing role, I learned how to be authentic and approachable, so that customer satisfaction can be enhanced.
Also Read: 6 fashion startups that actually deliver value
The hourly rates I earned taught me the importance of practising financial prudence.
I understand the importance of saving for rainy days and this had taught me how to be more financially prudent, especially as I am embarking on my first startup. We have to make the best use of all our resources, without imposing an additional financial burden. This also meant prototyping at the lowest possible costs and learning how to negotiate for throw-ins.
When we first started out, my team collaborated remotely using Taskade. I first heard about them through Y-Combinator and I was sold by the simplicity of their design. I signed up for a free account and onboarded the rest of my team.
After collaborating remotely for two months, I arranged for a feedback and review session with the CEO of Taskade, John Xie. I told the team how much I love their product and even highlighted some of my key findings from using the platform in an article here.
For me, the main reason that stood out from other collaboration tools was their interface and content support. John placed utmost importance in providing articles and guidelines in their blog, to help their customers.
Later, they upgraded my subscription to a PRO account. I think having an honest and authentic conversation helps, not even in just being transactional. And of course, I learn how to engage and produce meaningful conversations, that ultimately might bring benefits for my startup.
Conclusion
For everyone out there coming from humble backgrounds, I sincerely hope that this piece inspires you and let’s keep on keeping on! Our beginnings do not determine our outcome, and only in tough times, perseverance, and hope can be conceptualised.
It is only during times that we preserve, that we can reap the fruits and process of our journey. Make the best of all the chance you can get, and have faith that it would lead to something more majestic.
–
Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. Become a thought leader in the community and share your opinions or ideas and earn a byline by submitting a post.
Join our e27 Telegram group, or like the e27 Facebook page.
Image credit: Samuel Toh on Unsplash
The post How growing up as the only child in a blue-collar family sparked my entrepreneurial ventures appeared first on e27.